Hayes Valley quadruple murder suspect pleads not guilty

A San Francisco man pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder Wednesday in connection with a 2015 quadruple homicide in The City’s Hayes Valley neighborhood.

Lee Farley, 27, appeared in San Francisco Superior Court with his attorney and pleaded not guilty to all counts. He faces charges including murder, shooting at an inhabited vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted narcotics offender and one count of particpation in a criminal street gang.

Farley was arrested last Thursday in connection with a shooting that took place around 10 p.m. Jan. 9, 2015, on Page Street between Octavia Boulevard and Laguna Street.

Four young men were fatally shot while sitting in a vehicle on the street. The victims were identified as San Francisco residents Yalani Chinyamurindi, 19, Harith Atchan, 21, Manuel O’Neal, 22, and Antioch resident David Saucier, 20.

Farley, who has a prior history of arrests and convictions on charges including burglary, firearms, shootings, assault and drug trafficking, was already in federal custody on an unrelated weapons charge at the time of his arrest last week.

He is the only person charged in the shooting so far, but family members of the victims have said they understand there were multiple guns used in the shooting and more suspects remain at large.

Assistant District Attorney Eric Fleming would not comment on the evidence in the case but said it remains under investigation.

Fleming said the shooting, which left at least 18 bullet holes in the car, was one of the worst cases he had seen since he started handling cases in San Francisco.

“It sent a shock wave through the Western Addition, through all of San Francisco,” Fleming said.

Bail for Farley remains set at $20 million. He is next scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 7.